


Five Times Croydon was a joke - and one time it wasn't

by StellaGibsonsGirl



Category: The Fall (TV 2013)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:02:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25676290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StellaGibsonsGirl/pseuds/StellaGibsonsGirl
Summary: Imagine Stella and Reed are together, and happy.And over time, Croydon becomes a joke.
Relationships: Stella Gibson/Reed Smith
Kudos: 21





	1. Two 2 Tango

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Lykke Li’s “Deep End” which you can image is playing in the background, and Gillian’s dress at The One Show which I think would look too good on Stella

“I’m going to get us a drink. Or two,” Stella decides, looking over towards the wine bar, where quite a crowd is gathered in the sunset’s glowing light. They have found one of the last available bar tables for the outdoor light show that is supposed to begin in less than thirty minutes. “You will have to watch this table…” Stella winks at Tanya and briefly touches her hand before she turns and makes her way toward the bar. 

It’s a Friday evening in July, and there’s nothing to do but to enjoy the good weather, the music, the show, and some light white wine this weekend. Nothing but time together has been scheduled, so they don’t even have to worry about coming home late, or not getting out of bed in the morning. They’ll take a cab back to Stella’s, they’ve decided; knowing how the tube can get on a Friday night in Central London. But first, there’s a show to come, and a glass of wine to drink, or two. And then, another two days with Stella, Tanya thinks to herself, time with no one else around… 

“Do you mind if I stand here for a moment?” A male voice takes Tanya out of her revery. “Sure,” she mumbles, immediately directing her gaze toward the wine bar where Stella - her flowing white dress rendering her easily recognizable even in the diminishing light - is the next person to be served. 

“Is this your first time here?,” the man inquires. “No, no.” Tanya looks up. He’s quite attractive, tall, dark hair and eyes. “Meaning?” he goes on. “I used to spend a lot of time around here when I was growing up. I’ve not been for many years because I live in Belfast now.” “Oh,” he states. “So you are on vacation?” “Something like that,” is her reply. Then his obvious question: “Can I get you a drink?” 

Just in that moment, Stella arrives with two glasses of white wine in her hands and a bottle of water squeezed under her arm. Setting first the glasses and then the bottle on the table, she eyes first her girlfriend and then their new companion, who seems to have no intention to leave, curiously. 

“I thought you looked familiar,” the man suddenly says, looking at Tanya once again, and completely ignoring Stella. “I think you were the year below me, Croydon Grammar School?” “Mmmh,” Tanya responds nonchalantly. “That’s entirely possible.” Her hand sneaks around Stella’s waist, pulling her closer. 

“I am Simon,” he states, “Simon Miller.” “How nice for you,” Stella murmurs, more to herself than to anyone else, interlinking her fingers with Tanya’s. “And you were…was it… Tina?” His questioning gaze skims over Tanya’s body. Stella can see him tense the moment he realizes how closely the two women are standing together, and where exactly her hand is. “Tanya,” she says. “And I guess we were in school together. And before you begin to wonder: I may have been raised in Croydon, but as I said - I don’t live there anymore…”


	2. Politics of Seduction

“So what was that like, growing up there, in Croydon?,” Stella asks. She’s running her right hand through Tanya’s hair, still wet from the pool. “It was normal, I think,” she says. “I mean, really uneventful? My parents were strict; they were immigrants and wanted us to have a better life and successful careers. I went to school, I didn’t date, if that’s what you mean? My brother did all of that, skipping classes, stealing a car when he was 16 or 17, taking all the girls out. I was shy. Really shy. Didn’t even have a boyfriend or my first kiss til university.” Stella snickers. “You - shy?” “Only because I was not particularly shy around you last night doesn’t mean I wasn’t brought up in Croydon, Ms Gibson…” Tanya looks up at Stella in the beach chair next to hers and winks, but then gets a more serious look in her eyes. “You are burning up, honey - time to get out of the sun…” 

“So, what was it like, growing up here, in London?,” Tanya returns the question when they are back in Stella’s home, relaxing on the couch with a glass of white wine, watching the sun set outside the window. “I don’t know,” Stella shrugs. “Probably not that different from Croydon. My parents sent me to private school so I didn’t get any bad ideas, or so they thought.” “Had any bad ideas in private school, huh?” “Plenty, believe me. Didn’t get to act on most of them. Did act on one that was particularly bad because international politics were involved.” 

“International politics?,” Tanya turns in Stella’s arms. “Did you… French kiss?” Stella giggles for a second at the speed her girlfriend throws innuendo at her these days, but then gets serious again. “Nah. If only.” “You got it on with a hot blooded Italian boy on a school trip to Rome?” Stella shakes her head, then takes a deep breath. “If only.” She goes on in a quiet voice. “I seduced the daughter of a high ranking US diplomat, or maybe she seduced me, or maybe we seduced each other, whoever the fuck knows. But it was me and not her who got called in to the principal - in the company of my oh-so-very conservative mother. I was not 16 yet. I think they almost kicked me out. I was grounded by my mother for the rest of the school year, until her family left for the US.” 

“Did you stay in touch after?” Tanya immediately senses a tragic romance. “No. Not at all really. She did not look at me once after it all came out. Just said she had been brought up better than that.” “Oh. I am sorry,” Tanya says, immediately recalling their miss in Belfast - she had been brought up in Croydon, and she had been using almost the exact same words. “Really?” Stella asks. “Well, but only up to a point,” Tanya states with determination in her voice. 

Stella pulls her a little closer. “What do you mean?” “I mean that obviously I was older. But I came back, despite the turmoil in my mind and in spite of Croydon.” “You did,” Stella states. “I think that gives me a whole new respect for Croydon now…” She winks at Tanya, then leans down to kiss her. 

“That was nice.” “Yes, it was.”


	3. Yellow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I swam across/ I jumped across for you/ Oh what a thing to do/...” (from Coldplay, “Yellow”)

“Did you ever make... totally different plans for your life? Or wonder what could have happened if you had taken a different decision at one point? How it might have altered everything else?” Tanya looks at Stella, who is sitting across from her, expectantly. “What do you mean?” “I don’t know... Maybe if your career had taken a different route, or if you’d met other people, or something like that?” “Not really.” Stella looks up, adjusting her legs under the table. “What makes you ask that?” 

“Just memories, I think.” Tanya catches Stella’s gaze. “Did you ever think about leaving London?” Stella is silent for a moment. “Not really, to be honest. I mean, after I finished school I had great opportunities here to continue my education. And then things worked out with the Met - there was a time before that where I thought I should get a PhD.” “What made you reconsider?” This is news to Tanya and the thought that maybe Stella could have taken a similar academic route as she had fascinates her. 

“I didn’t reconsider, it was decided for me,” Stella states. “How?” “Oh, you know, it was in Anthropology. And we tried to get funding for this project, including the position for me - and it got rejected twice. So I never got the chance. I did lecture a few times at King’s, even in recent years. Maybe I will again next semester.” “Wow - I didn’t know.” “I mean it’s not that special?” Stella smiles. “I teach them some methodology, it’s fun; it’s not well-paid, but you know... I like it. Maybe it’s something to do after I retire from active duty, who knows.” 

Stella takes a sip from her wineglass. “Did you ever... want to be something different?” Tanya looks at her coyly as Stella returns her question. “Well,...” she just says, then looks to the garden, into the distance. “I thought at one point that I’d leave it all, and live in Paris.” “Paris?” “Long story,” Tanya begins. “I was 25, done with my degrees, about to get married and move to Belfast. And for some reason I thought that I wanted to get out one last time you know?” “You really make marriage sound like prison,” Stella states, not entirely seriously. “Honestly, it’s not, but I got married at 25. I could have done so many things differently, but then I had a baby at 26, and this career in Belfast and... well, I could have done one little thing differently before all of it, and you know, everything would have been different.” “The Butterfly Effect,” comes from Stella. “Something like that. More like the Croydon Effect,” Tanya murmurs. 

“So what about Paris? Obviously you need to tell me all about it now.” Tanya leans back in her chair. “I worked for three months in a special unit of the hospital there that takes care and does research on children with significant burns. It was very challenging. I learned a lot. Not necessarily the kind of knowledge needed by a pathologist.” Tanya looks up, taking another sip of wine as well. “And it made you want to change directions?” Stella asks. “Not quite. But while I was in Paris, I lived with an Irish medical student, a couple years younger. And you know how this goes.” “Do not,” Stella interferes. “How what goes?” 

“She and I...” Tanya begins, then stops. “She and I spent all this time together, and obviously I had a marriage waiting for me, and Croydon, and my parents’ expectations and my job in Belfast that was already clear all the time.” “And then?” “And then, well. I guess we fell in love.” Stella stares at her. “Wow.” “Yeah, wow.” “You know, I had wondered.” “Wondered?” “About when you knew you might like women.” Stella smiles at her from across the table and puts her hand on Tanya’s, intertwining her fingers with hers. “It’s ok,” she says. “What happened?” 

“I ran.” Tanya’s gaze meets Stella’s. “Before anything much could happen. I was going to get married. I could not... I could not disappoint people like that. It was not like me. I had had my moment in Paris. My three months of being free and unbothered. Time to get serious about my career and... and my relationship. I mean, it was obviously a different time. My parents would have never... I would have never been able to do this.” 

“Mmmmh,” comes from Stella. It’s too early to ask what Tanya might tell her parents now. She knows they need to have that conversation at some point, but probably not right at this moment. “I’m sorry,” she simply says, adding: “And grateful that you waited til the stars conspired for us to meet.” They smile at each other across the table. 

Suddenly, the moment has passed. But later that evening, on their way home, Tanya takes Stella’s hand as they walk through Stella’s neighborhood. It feels comfortable, for the lack of a better word. “Stella?” Tanya says suddenly, disrupting their comfortable silence, but still holding on to her hand. “I’m glad I am not in Croydon anymore. And not in Paris anymore. And not in Belfast anymore.”


End file.
